Foundation garment



March 24, 1959 E. c. SHARP FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1957 4 Sheet-Sheet l //v1 aR [Fm 4 C. HAR

. SHARP March 24, 1959 E. c

FOUNDATION GARMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1957 HHHHH HHHH HH ETHEL C, SHHEP March 24-, c SHARAP FOUNDATION GARMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 5, 1957 //r us 7'08 March 24, 1959' E. c. SHARP FOUNDATION GARMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 5, 1957 United tates Patent FOUNDATION GARMENT Ethel Caroline Sharp, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Application February 5, 1957, Serial No. 638,322 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-432) This invention has been devised to provide a foundation garment which will extend around the buttock and hips and provide a contractive support therefore, without restricting freedom of movement of the body about the hips.

This improved foundation garment consists of a back panel, two side panels having the bottom edge set downwardly acutely towards the front from a position above the hips, a front panel fixed to one side panel and means to secure it to the other side panel. A part of the bottom edge of this front panel is adapted to embrace the lower abdomen. Two hip panels are fixed to the back panel, they extend to the sides of the abdomen and are shaped to embrace the hips. The top of each hip panel overlaps the adjacent side panel. There is a lower front panel made of elastic material and means are provided to secure it to the sides of the hip panels.

Preferably the back panel and the front panel are provided with supporting ribs held in sheaths. The hip panels may be made of elastic material.

The invention is described in further detail with reference to the annexed drawings wherein Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views taken from the front and back of the foundation garment made as a corselette as worn. Figs. 3 and 4 are layout views of the exterior and interior of the corselette. Figs. 5 to 8 are views similar to Figs. 1 to 4 showing the foundation garment as a corset.

As illustrated the back panel 1 extends from the position of the shoulder blades to below the buttock. It is provided with two twin sheaths 2 and two outer single sheaths 3. The two sheaths adjacent the centre extend from the bottom to the top of the panel and the remain ing sheaths are set upwardly in steps from the bottom; they extend to the top of the panel. All sheaths have openings 4 providing access to removable ribs 5. The side parts of the back panel 1 are shaped to body contour by full length darts 7.

The two side panels 8 are fixed to the back panel 1 and have the respective bottom edges 9 set downwardly acutely from a position above the hips. The angle is such that they will embrace the sides of the lower abdomen without restricting leg movement.

The front panel 10 is fixed to one side panel as at 11 and hooks and eyes are incorporated in the other side of the front panel and the mating side panel 8 respectively. The top of the front panel is shaped as a brassiere 13 and has means for securing shoulder straps 14 which are also secured to the back panel 1. The bottom edges 15 of this front panel converge downwardly at near the same acute angle as the bottom edges 9 of the side panels Patented Mar. 24, 1959 2 8 to the position of the lower abdomen and then it extends straight as at 16 across the abdomen. Two twin sheaths 17 and a single sheath 18 are formed on the front panel over the position of the abdomen. All sheaths have openings 19 therein providing access to removable ribs 20.

Two hip panels 21 are fixed to the respective sides of the back panel 1 above the position of the hips; they extend to the sides of the abdomen and are shaped by darts 22 to embrace the hips. The top of each hip panel overlaps the adjacent side panel and suspenders 23 are secured to the bottom edges.

A lower front panel 24 made of elastic material is secured at the centre top to the front panel 10 as indicated at 25. Hooks and eyes 26 are incorporated in the sides of the lower front panel and the sides of the respective hip panels respectively. Suspenders 27 are secured to the bottom of the lower front panel 24 and to the bottom of the front panel 10. If the hip panels are made of an elastic material the panel 24 may be made as an extension of one of them.

Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate how the foundation garment can be made as a corset having the same characteristic features as the corselette described above. In these Figs. 5 to 8 the references are the same as those used in Figs. 1 to 4 and the several parts are identical.

I claim:

1. A one-piece foundation garment, comprising an integral back panel, side panels secured to the opposite sides of the back panel and having the bottom edges thereof set downwardly acutely towards the front from a position above the hips, hip panels having their rear edges secured to the back panel at the lower portion of the juncture of said side panels and back panel, said hip panels extending downwardly and forwardly beyond the side panels and having their upper edges overlapping said bottom edges of the side panels, a main front panel secured at one edge to a side panel leaving the other edge free and having its bottom edge adapted to support the lowermost part of the abdomen, means at the free edge of said front panel to detachably secure it to theother side panel, a lower front panel of elastic material secured at one edge to one of said hip panels and having the other edge free, said lower front panel extending across the bottom por tion of the main front panel and having its bottom edge overlapping the bottom edge of said main front panel, and means at one edge of said lower front panel to detachably secure it to the side of the related hip panel.

2. A one-piece foundation garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top of said front panel is shaped in the form of a brassiere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,078 Merrillees Dec. 12, 1899 1,674,300 Righter June 19, 1928 2,125,185 Koford July 26, 1938 2,293,654 Kispert Aug. 18, 1942 2,584,279 McDowell Feb. 5, 1952 2,661,469 Blatt Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,780/33 Australia May 23. 1934 

